During the official visit to Finland Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Leonid Kozhara met with Foreign Minister of Finland Erkki Tuomioja. The discussion was focused at  key issues of bilateral relations and priorities in the dialogue between Ukraine and EU.

Special attention was paid to the preparation for the signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. In this context, Mr. Kozhara informed about the implementation of large-scale modernization of country and stressed the commitment of the Government of Ukraine to create conditions for the signing.

In his turn, E.Tuomioja said that Finland is interested in the successful outcomes of the Eastern Partnership’s Summit in November in Vilnius.

Foreign ministers agreed on the importance of strengthening bilateral political dialogue at all levels. It was also noted that the deepening of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, especially in the energy and agricultural sectors, is of interest for both sides.

E.Tuomioja assured the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine that Finland has strong intention to provide support in the implementation of the priorities of the Ukrainian Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2013. In this context, it was noted Ukraine's efforts to solve protracted conflicts, especially in the Transdniestrian region, promotion of a process "Helsinki 40", the role of the OSCE in combating human trafficking.